1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image processing apparatus, an image forming system, and a method for forming images.
2. Description of the Related Art
An existing system allows a user to select one of a plurality of printers that are connected to a network and hold print data therein, so that the print data held in one of the printers can be printed by using another printer. One such system is disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 2010-118788. In this system, the server function of any one of the plurality of printers connected to the network is placed in an enabled state. A printer receives print data and sends information that identifies the print data to another printer whose server function is in the enabled state. Once authentication has been successfully performed in any one of the printers, a printer whose server function is in the enabled state allows a printer that has the print data to transfer the print data to the authenticated printer.
However, if a malfunction occurs in the printer whose server function has been placed in the enabled state, the information used for managing the print data held in the malfunctioning printer would be lost. Therefore, the user has to reproduce the print data for printing out the print data, though the malfunctioning printer still holds print data therein. This is very inconvenient to the user.